Screwed up GMAT 650. Need help !

Hi Puys, I gave my GMAT yesterday and got an ordinary score of 650. I had scored above 700s in GMATpreps and was quite confident of getting 700+. I guess I lost the mental game. I am very confused now about taking another chance in 2 week…

Hi Puys,

I gave my GMAT yesterday and got an ordinary score of 650.
I had scored above 700s in GMATpreps and was quite confident of getting 700+. I guess I lost the mental game.
I am very confused now about taking another chance in 2 weeks. Please help me and tell me if

1. I should try taking GMAT in 12-14 days again most probably on Sep 15 and try getting more than 700. Since most universities' deadlines start in October, I will lose 2 weeks in apping process and also essays may not be that good.
2. Start selecting universities as per my score of 650, try to write good essays and recos. And go ahead with my apping.

I have currently 4 years of IT experience in banking and finance domain in Infy and SAP. My 10th , 12th and Grad marks are 87%, 73% and 67%.
I had dreamt about doing MBA in Finance in top college but that dream now looks distant to me. :shock: I am in shock and despair.

Also tell me which university can be good for me. And do I still have a chance of getting some scholarships.

Please do reply and help me,
Regards
Calendar

Hi Puys,

I gave my GMAT yesterday and got an ordinary score of 650.
I had scored above 700s in GMATpreps and was quite confident of getting 700+. I guess I lost the mental game.
I am very confused now about taking another chance in 2 weeks. Please help me and tell me if

1. I should try taking GMAT in 12-14 days again most probably on Sep 15 and try getting more than 700. Since most universities' deadlines start in October, I will lose 2 weeks in apping process and also essays may not be that good.
2. Start selecting universities as per my score of 650, try to write good essays and recos. And go ahead with my apping.

I have currently 4 years of IT experience in banking and finance domain in Infy and SAP. My 10th , 12th and Grad marks are 87%, 73% and 67%.
I had dreamt about doing MBA in Finance in top college but that dream now looks distant to me. :shock: I am in shock and despair.

Also tell me which university can be good for me. And do I still have a chance of getting some scholarships.

Please do reply and help me,
Regards
Calendar


Hey buddy....really sorry to hear that. I too was hoping that you will get pass 700

My suggestion would be this, as I might do this . Look for some good University which accepts your score. Submit the application, and then in parallel prep for the second attempt. However, I am not sure if there is any restriction that once you have applied you are not supposed to take another GMAT exam. Once you get a good score in ur second attempt, you can try for better univs..In this way you might not loose something which you can get....just a suggestion, maybe u need to ask many others

btw can you tell me what was this "mental game" stuff. Did you get tensed or you couldn't finish the qs in time..

Hi,

Thanks a lot for ur advice.Great relief.
I am giving myself time till tomorrow to decide. Its a big decision.

But don't worry - you'll get cruise through easily.

I meant its mind game because usually in my tests my Quant used to finish before time and Verbal used to be borderline case - sometimes exceeding 75 minutes. But in actual GMAT I lost my aptitude. I had to mark the last answer for fluke because I got lost in some questions. The strange thing was I used to get lost many times in my mock tests also but there used to be some questions which I used to finish in 15-30 seconds and I didn't find these in actual GMAT in actual GMAT. I realised this when it was too late.

Anyways in my break after my Quant I became tense and I decided to be move fast in Verbal so as to not to get messed up here. This was a bad decision I guess because my Verbal finished because I finished this section 10 minutes before time which is very unheard of.

So I now really believe one should make oneself very strong in his mind when taking GMAT and also be ready with plan A and plan B and plan C.

I got 48 in Quant (2 points below my expected score) and 31 in Verbal (at least 4-5 points below my expectations).

Do have a nice aptitude for urself and manage your time properly. ATB

Regards
Calendar

Depends on where you wanted to land... Harvard, Stanford - a big, fat No! second tier unis, yes, please proceed. AFAIK and researched, not just the score, but also your essays and recos matter a lot. With a decent four year work ex, it won't hurt your chances to a universties in Top 11-20. I'd say give apping a go and get on with it. Look at the mean GMAT scores of the universities and you'll have an idea. Narrow your aim and shoot. Wish you the best...

Hi.
I took GMAT a week ago and scored 610 inspite of the fact that i used to score above 700 in most of the practice tests. I wish to apply predominantly to the asian colleges and my score falls far below the expected range. I think I should take the GMAT again in the near future. CAn anybody please suggest me the methodology i should follow to score upto my capabilility. I had completed OG, Kaplan ,etc before taking GMAT.

Thanks a ton...

Hi Calendar,

According to GMAT rules, there should be AT LEAST 31 calender days between two GMAT exams.. so, please check with the rules and regulations...

Second attempt is a very good decision.. as far as I heard most of the second attempt score are higher than first attempt scores... In fact, I am going to give my second attempt on Sep 15..( My first attempt was.. 680..) ..

All the best for GMAT.. do well..

Hi Calendar,

According to GMAT rules, there should be AT LEAST 31 calender days between two GMAT exams.. so, please check with the rules and regulations...

Second attempt is a very good decision.. as far as I heard most of the second attempt score are higher than first attempt scores... In fact, I am going to give my second attempt on Sep 15..( My first attempt was.. 680..) ..

All the best for GMAT.. do well..

Oh man!
I had just now made the decision to retake GMAT.. now a new problem.
yes, I checked mba.com. I have to wait for 31 days before retrying.
Retake the Test

HI guys,

I'm a potential GMAT candidate , infact I have been one for the last year and half. I have given GMAT thrice (latest score - 650) and was just wondering in case I can create a seperate profile on MBA.com.

Any idea as to how can this help ? if at all this is possible ?

I understand the fact that plenty of authentication points are taken care of my GMAC. But I guess they barely check the fingerprints and stuff.What do you guys have to say ?


Do I apply to B schools with all my scores or create a seperate profile to have a fresh GMAT score ?

Looking forward to your cooperation.

Sorry to hear about your problems... I would say that getting another identity is a really bad idea. If it blows up, you will never get into b-school.

vishal78 Says
Sorry to hear about your problems... I would say that getting another identity is a really bad idea. If it blows up, you will never get into b-school.


hi vishal,

ur right man...i hv given up on the idea already !!

tx a ton for the response though :)

atb
varun

dont' lose heart, look up www.examville.com, I'm sure the tutors there can help you out...

Hi guys,

First things first!

This is not an attempt to attract post replies on PG nor is it an endeavor to encourage the accruing space coaching institutes are speculated to have on PG. This is a mere attempt to give back what PG has to given me. Reciprocity thats the word 

To start with, Im a very ordinary guy. No marks for guessing my profession, Im a software engineer. And like all my peers I too had a dream to pursue an MBA. Gave cat twice and faltered for obvious reasons- my preparation was not up to potential. I promised myself not to give CAT again and started looking for other avenues. GMAT was the obvious choice as I assumed it to be way easier than is the CAT. However, these assumptions were soon to be shattered!

It was March 2008 that I started my preparation. Collated some stuff from a local coaching institute (I better not take its name) and completed both the quant and verbal sections respectively. I later realized that these books were renditions of the OG 10. This finding made me realize that it was foolish to rely on a coaching institute. Instead I got myself the following books: Princeton Review, Kaplan Premier Program and Kaplan Verbal Workout and Kaplan 800. I completed the Kaplan books, except the 800 one, only to realize that my basics were in fact baseless. I returned to Princeton Review and found out the level too low for me to handle. I grew in confidence and started giving back to back tests. Princeton Test scores ranged from 650 to 710 while Kaplan ranged from 530 to 590. I booked the GMAT date in August, 5 days ahead of my birth day, and gave two Power Prep Tests before hitting the final stone. I scored 700 and 640 in those two tests.
However, my so called strategies were bound to go for a spin I scored a dismal 590(Q47 V2.

Lesson 1: One should always plan and interrogate fellow test takers. I was all by myself and never tried to seek any ones opinion on the GMAT (Though I wanted to prove a point here but it took me a while to sink in that its a hard world out there with no room for emotions)

Next up, was disaster time as I had only 2 months left to the first deadline(s). After tons and tons of brainstorming I thought that it would be a great idea to give GMAT another shot. This time, however, I started using forums more seriously. I also spoke to current students and peers who had great scores. I also had a strategy in mind To solve the Princeton Review, OG and Kaplan in that order. This is something I really want to stress upon as many of us do not realize the importance of phasing our prep plan. I solved a plethora of tests and was getting scores mostly in the early 700s. November was here and I took the GMAT date, 15 days ahead of the first potential deadline. In the knack of deadlines, however, I lost it completely I scored a 610(Q44 V30), courtesy my non-timed break during the quant section and my shivering body throughout the verbal section.


Lesson 2: Never let deadlines drive you. Give the GMAT only once you are thoroughly prepared. I also made the mistake of assuming that my application will be ready in 15 days something which is quite unlikely. Remember, the GMAT is only a number in your application. Its true that a high GMAT may earn you that coveted seat in a b school; however, the admissions team lays more stress on your applications uniqueness than on your GMAT score.

It was time for me to take a break. However, dont mistake this for a vacation as I was buried under office work thereafter. I thought this to be a blessing in disguise as I was too frustrated and almost gave up on the idea of an MBA (thats a sad thing to do). I perennially mocked people who always whined on the concept of working and studying simultaneously, only to realize that those people were correct. This goes to all software engineers and those in other industries studying while ones working is a daunting task, but the feeling of achieving that dream score is ecstatic. I know its clichd, but trust me guys, the idea of studying hurts more than studying lone . After a hiatus of 4 months, I decided to devote some quality time to preparation. It was hard coming back to books again but then all great things are perhaps the most difficult to achieve! I re-solved all the material I had and gave the tests (Although it didnt help much as a major chunk of the questions was repeated). The only new material I had were the new sets of tests from Manhattan and 800score. These sets not only made me realize my current level but compelled me to work voraciously on my weaknesses. I averaged 680 on Manhattan and 720 on 800score. Come July, it was time for the GMAT, yet again. I was happy for the fact that I was writing the exam ahead of potential deadlines and that I was very confident on both the quant and Verbal sections. The day came and I thought I ruled the quant section and I guess that feeling ruined by verbal section. I scored a 650 (Q49 V30).

Lesson 3: Sometimes staying away from studies help. The fact that I improved in the Quant section testifies the same. Also, if you intend to start your studies after a gap, always start with your strength areas. Quant was my strength in this case. Moreover, English was something that I always dreaded. The more you run away from things, the more they will haunt you. This saying attributed my atrocious verbal score. Also, do not let the success of one section overrule your potential to perform in the following sections. I did the mistake of becoming overtly confident after I solved the Quant section This feeling almost raped (virtually) me in the verbal section.

It was time that I left every other thing and got down to some serious studying. I thankfully got released from my project and utilized the much needed bench period (techies would know what Im talking about) to full potential. I completely revamped my study schedule. I started from the basics. Be it the quant or the verbal section, I lay utmost importance to concepts and solved almost a 1000 questions combined in a months time. Manhattan SC was one book that I never took seriously and just tried to parrot the rules something that really helps on the GMAT. Got hold of the OG 11 and also solved 1000 SC RC and CR to gain an insight into few real GMAT level questions and ultimately had a sought after plan for the verbal section. . I also crafted different strategies for Data sufficiency and Problem solving techniques. By this time, I was scoring quite high on both Manhattan and Power prep tests and never felt so good. Took the date 2 days ahead and gave the GMAT. My score 710 (Q47 V40). The quant score was on the lower side, however, plenty of other things went my way so...No regrets!

Lesson 4: There is no room for a layman in a GMAC Pearson Professional Centre. It is mandate that when you enter the room, you have a devised plan in your mind and the will to execute it. Half the time we loose the battle because we are overcome by a host of hurdles. GMAT is a demon that tests your potential to stand its demolitions- or shall I say JO DAR GAYA WOH MAR GAYA. My advice would be to take care of the controllable and see the uncontrollable vanish.

The feeling of seeing a 710 on my screen was an amalgam of agony and jubiliation. I almost ended up shouting in the room at one instance. Thanks to the wonderful lady instructor, I was not allowed to do so 

My honest advice to all GMAT takers:-

Know your strengths and use them at adversity.
Alleviate your weaknesses. Learn from them even if you find hard eliminating them.
Stop comparing yourself to others.
Basics are pivotal to both the Quant and Verbal section.
Avoid Frustration it kills

Preparation Material that I ended up using:-

Books:-
Princeton Review
OG 10 and 11
Kaplan Premier Program
Kaplan Verbal Workout
Manhattan SC

Tests:-
Princeton variable scoring
Kaplan a morale spoiler
Power Prep - ideal conditions are tested but the level of questions is on the lower side
Manhattan I rate them the best
800score a close second.

PS: I havent mentioned AWA anywhere. It was or rather still is my strongest section. Perhaps the lone thing I can boast about  However, any serious GMAT candidate is bound to get at least a 4.5 on the AWA by simply following the rules quoted in the OG.